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Monastery of the Birth of Theotokos of Ampelaki

COUNTY: Arcadia MUNICIPALITY: Megalopolis

19ºC

Type

Nunnery

TL;DR

A monastery with an interesting history, built in a cave surrounded by a vineyard, equipped with a large guesthouse.

The Monastery of Ampelaki (small vineyard) is inside a gorge on Taygetus’ southeast. It is 50 kilometres from Tripoli and Sparta, near the village Logkaniko. The monastery is built inside a cave under a rock, and on its first peak is the holy cross, while on the second the church of the Ascension (Analipsi).

The miraculous image of Panagia (Virgin Mary) was found in the cave by a monk. He was an ascetic in the cave, his old monastery destroyed by the Turks. The image was considered to be made by the Evangelist Luke, and the bones of the monk who found it are kept in the Altar of the church of the Acension. The cave itself is surrounded by a vineyard, the inspiration of the monastery’s name.

Inside the monastery is a monument to the fallen, as well as a chapel dedicated to Agios Dimitrios the Myrovlitis, and two churches, one dedicated to Agios Nektarios and one to Agios Savvas. The Monastery is equipped with a guesthouse that can hold a large number of visitors, and its waters all come from a spring on the eastern side of the peak.

The monastery celebrates in the 8th of September, attracting crowds of believers and tourists alike.